Anybody that knows me knows that there are only a handful of shows that I love as much as I love Saturday Night Live. There is no end to the amount of praise that I could bestow on this marvelous show, but I have decided to take another route. For anybody born in the 70's and beyond, SNL has been there. Hate it or love it, SNL has been there providing commentary on the events of our lives. For some of us, Saturday Night Live has offered up some impromptu life lessons.
Humor Lives on Long After the Comedian Dies
Many SNL alum have died well before their time. Call it a curse. Call it fate. Call it what you want. Either way, Jim Belushi, Gilda Radner, Phil Hartman, and Chris Farley all died way too young. We all benefit from being able to go back and watch them on VCR tape or DVD. Their comedy will continue to live on long after SNL is gone.
There is no Situation That Cannot be Laughed at
Whether it's appropriate or not, laughter is incredibly therapeutic. There's a reason that crying and laughter are so similar physiologically. They are so refreshing and cleansing. While not all of us can laugh in the face of adversity, it is wonderful when we can. One of the best examples that SNL provided us was the Will Ferrell skit where he came to work dressed a little too patriotically. I believe you can find that clip on one of the Best of Will Ferrell DVDs.
No Matter how Annoying Someone is, I Will Still Miss Them When They Stop Coming Around
Don't lie, if you watched SNL in the 90's you were a little sad when Mike Myer's characters Dieter (Sprockets), Linda Richmond (Coffee Talk), and Wayne (Wayne's World) stopped appearing on the show. This can be said for almost all of the timeless, yet annoying characters that appeared on the show. I never realized how true this statement was until one of my long-time, yet amazingly annoying coworkers left the company. It took me a while to get over the fact that I missed having this guy ask me for White-Out on a daily basis.
Mr. Pibb + Red Vines = Crazy Delicious
I always thought of myself as more of a Twizzlers and Dr. Pepper guy, but I did give Mr. Pibb and Red Vines a whirl the last time I went to the movies. And you know what? They are crazy delicious.
It is not Always Possible to Make a Good Idea Work on a Large Level
Sure some Saturday Night Live skits have found success on the big screen, but many have found their way to the bottom of the DVD bargain barrel. It just goes to show that it is always important to strike when the iron is hot and be prepared to deal with failure if a “can't miss” idea doesn't turn out as well as expected.
Things That I Remember are Often Better or Worse Than They Actually Were
When I would watch SNL with my father, there was always a debate over whether the casts from the 90's were better than the casts from the 70's and 80's. This led me to realize that we, as a society, are less likely to remember the bad things that happened in the past when there are good things that happened alongside them. It's hard to remember that a past relationship often has its positives and negatives when we tend to focus on the last memory, which is usually bad. It is equally as hard to remember that our sports heroes often had bad games before they made the memorable plays that immortalized them.
The Things That my Parents Enjoyed May not Work for me, but I can Still Respect Them
I used to try to watch the old 70's episodes of SNL. More often than not, I would find myself wondering why I did not find them funny. It took me a while to realize that most humor of the time is based on events that were current. I don't remember the gas shortage of the late 70's, so how would I find it humorous? And just because I can't laugh about the things that happened back then, I can still respect that my parents could.
Anybody can be Replaced
Sometimes people leave a situation on their own terms, sometimes they don't. Either way - businesses, lives, and TV shows go on. Sure, there is going to be a period of reminiscing that will follow the change, but that's just human nature. I can remember hating that the SNL cast of 1994 was replaced in 1995. That was until they came up with new and (now) timeless characters.
It is Possible to Change Without Having to do Anything Radical
If the turnover of the SNL's casts every 5-10 years has proven anything, it's that the same formula can be duplicated successfully with only minor changes. Sure, the topics have to be updated and writers come and go, but the heart remains. It's really no different than when your father goes off the deep end, divorces your mother, buys a Corvette, and dates a girl in high school. He's still the same guy.
Some Things in Life are Begging to be Made fun of and Some Don't Need to be
There is often a fine line between funny and insulting. Some topics just don't need to be touched and others deserve to be beaten into the ground by the sounds of laughter. In retrospect, the Monica Lewinsky scandal that happened during the Clinton presidency could have been a disaster. Think of all the sensitive information that crossed Clinton's desk. The same desk he was busy pink-stinking his cigars on. It could have been much worse if not for the humor that came from it. I still laugh my ass thinking about it.
Of course there are other lessons to be learned and all of these lessons could have come from other sources, but I grew up in front of the TV and I often found myself watching SNL on Saturday nights. Yes, I was a nerd.
